Sikorsky Pushing for Early Combat Rescue Helicopter Production Decision, Deliveries
The first Sikorsky HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter as it enters final assembly at Stratford, Conn., in February. Sikorsky photo
The pilots enjoy increased ballistic protection by way of thicker armor. The armor plating in the Pave Hawk only protects from standard 7.62 mm ball ammunition but the W model will add protection from 7.62 mm armor-piercing rounds.
Versus the Pave Hawk, the W model has a “more elegant” side-gun mounting design. They won’t stick out as far from the aircraft and will be able to universally accept GAU-2, GAU-18, and GAU-21 guns, Healy said.
Special mission aviators and pararescuemen will be able to see mission data in the back of the aircraft, where three full-color displays are mounted. For the first time, pararescuemen will have crash-worthy seats, which can be folded up to the ceiling of the cabin. In the Pave Hawk, PJs sit on the cabin floor and take their chances.
Sikorsky is under contract for 39 training “devices,” which will include full-motion simulators for the pilots and special mission aviators. Additionally, there are operational flight trainers and part-task trainers focused on systems such as landing gear and hoists. Sikorsky is also developing maintenance system trainers for crew chiefs to work on at the Fort Eustis, Va. schoolhouse.
Related Content
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.
Airmen at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. are working on a device that will start up the KC-46 refueling tanker faster, which would cut down the time it takes for crews to take off and gas up aircraft in need.
For the Space Force and the U.S. writ large, the mission of position, navigation, and timing has become synonymous with three letters: GPS. That is likely to change in the coming years, as service officials described plans this week for a whole host of alternative systems, or alt-PNT.
The Air Force Historical Foundation (AFHF) announced the 2023-2024 winners of its prestigious annual awards honoring individuals and units “dedicated to the making and documentation of Air Force and Space Force history.” In addition to the standard collection of awards, this...
The Space Force is finalizing its first contracts for the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve and plans to award them early in 2025—giving the service access to commercial satellites and other space systems in times of conflict or crisis—officials said Nov. 21.
The Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin have struck a “handshake deal” on prices for Lots 18 and 19 of the F-35 fighter, but have not yet revealed them. The agreement is about a year overdue, and comes after a period where the company was laying out its on money…
Air & Space Forces Magazine got an inside look at how the California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing flew a high-risk mission to pick up a patient on a cargo ship 500 miles off the coast of San Francisco last month.
In a modern, connected military, software is crucial to every step of every operation, from planning to coordination and logistics to target engagement. But as threats and requirements change, software needs to change too. If requirements change faster than developers can...
The first Stand-in Attack Weapon, expected to be used in large numbers to clear a path through enemy air defenses, has been delivered for initial Air Force testing, Northrop Grumman announced. The missile is expected to be operational in just two years.